₦airaland Forum

Hello Nairalanders, What do you guys think about the persistent tomato scarcity and the Tuta absoluta dummy being sold to us by the FG?

I guess i am the only thinking and asking, Why is it now that Dangote recently opened a Tomato paste production factory that Tuta absoluta ravaged tomato farms in Nigeria.

Secondly, did the pest eat both the plant and the tomato seeds, thereby stopping reproduction? One thing i know for sure is Tuta absoluta have been around for so long and if you even plant anything apart from tomato pests must definitely eat some, so why is the new Tuta absoluta eating everything and not leaving anything for us or should we just agree that its a conspiracy between Dangote absoluta and FG absoluta?

Again FG told us that adultrated tomato paste had flooded Nigerian market and this could lead to cancer.. Question: Should we wait for Dangote tomato paste to be out before we start cooking with paste again?

Just musing tho....
Read thought provoking Articles, Motivationals and Stories on http://www.duketundesblog.com/search/label/Article

A 42-year-old woman, from Porthcawl, Wales who went swimming in the sea and suffered severe earache later, thought she had a perforated eardrum or an infection.

Victoria Price, visited the accident and emergency unit, and the nurse who attended to her discovered a 'chunky'spider had crawled into her ear.

She pulled out the 'live, wriggly' creature, remarking that it was 'twice as big as it first looked'.

Fortunately an examination showed the spider had not caused any problems.


Mrs Price said: 'There was no further damage - or any eggs laid, as everyone keeps asking me.'

Mrs Price, an IT trainer with South Wales Police, had been swimming off Newton Beach, Porthcawl, when the furry spider is thought to have nestled itself inside her head.

'I got out of the shower [when I got home] and the pain in my ear was just incredible,' said Mrs Price.

'I was Irish dancing around the bathroom. I didn't know what to do with myself.

'I assumed I had trapped water or I'd perforated an eardrum or something.

'The first thing I did was reach for cotton wool, because you think if it's water that will absorb it.

'As soon as I put the cotton wool in it was quite a bit better but throughout the night it came and went. I didn't sleep very much.'

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/omg-see-what-nurse-pulled-out-from.html#h6HDdrURWqpdeq7x.99

I guess they will employ some they deem good enough and the others who must have learned one skill or the other will have to find something else to do

rolchi:
And after two years employment as a teacher, what happens? I hear you will be sacked...please, confirm!

Now that all is set for the commencement of the Federal Government's N-Power programme in Nigeria, An initiative which will see the federal government of Nigeria empower 500,000 youths by developing programmes to engage youths in entrepreneurship, skill development, handiwork and teaching, among others.

These are some of the facts you should know before enrolling for the Programme as registration starts on Sunday, June 12 2016, while the programme proper is set to commence sometime in August 2016.


1. The Teacher Corps is for HND and B.sc/B.A/B.Ed graduates.
2. The Teacher Corps programme shall engage 500,000 unemployed graduates and deploy them to schools to teach
3. Applicants must have completed the compulsory National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
4. The Teacher Corps programme is meant for only those within the age brackets of 18-35 years.
5. N-Power Teach on the portal, is one of the three direct job creation and training schemes Nigerians can start applying for. Others are N-Power Knowledge, which will train 25,000 Nigerians in the area of technology, and N-Power Build, which train another 75,000 in the areas of building services, construction, utilities, hospitality and catering, automotive vocations, aluminium and gas services.
6. The Teacher Corps recruits will work for two years.
7. N-power is a volunteer service to the nation and not an offer of employment from the federal government.
8. Monthly pay is pegged at N23000.
9. The Teacher Corps recruitment is not automatic, Prospective corps members shall fill an application, pass an aptitude and other relevant tests.
10. Technicalities such as reports/clearance will be in place to avoid ghost-workers.
11. Recruits must demonstrate reading, writing and teaching skills
12. Applicants must prove that they are currently unemployed.
13. At the end of the programme, corps members will be presented with the National Skills Certificate.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/13-key-facts-about-fgs-n-power-programme.html#2gybCXcdg0CZKiF9.99

The free-fall of Nigeria's economy seems to be getting worse and the reality is not far fetched as Nigerians groan under the burden of financial hardship, in the past one week alone banks in Nigeria have laid off close to 2,000 workers.


"According to a recent article published by Financial times, Reality for Nigerians comes harder by the day. Investors told the Finance minister Kemi Adeosun in London this week that in the current climate even a high-yielding sovereign bond would be a tough sell so long as currency controls remain in place.
International airlines, meanwhile, are grumbling about $1bn in earnings trapped in Nigeria as a result of foreign exchange restrictions brought in last year as an unorthodox response to the collapsing oil price.

Two airlines — United, which ran weekly from Houston, and Iberia — have suspended flights partly as a result. The main companies connecting Africa’s largest economy and leading oil producer to the outside world, among them British Airways, Emirates and Virgin Atlantic, have no immediate intention of following suit. There is symbolism in this nonetheless. It points to how stranded Nigerians might become if their economy veers further into freefall." To read more visit: http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/nigerian-economy-drops-further-into.html

Often time we misplaced our keys, wallet, mobile phones and other devices no matter how organized we are, it just happen and most time friends and family who aid you in the search for your wandering stuffs laugh at you if all along the stuffs you've been searching for were in your pocket. Well good news is now there are a growing number of helpful devices can save you the trouble of retracing your steps to locate your misplaced keys or wallet.

To pin down items that seem to wander away, including keys, glasses, a purse, and even a laptop or tablet, you can tag them with a Bluetooth tracker, such as Tile or TrackR Bravo, that pairs with a smartphone app—assuming you can find your phone. Tile’s 1.5-inch plastic square and TrackR’s 1.2-inch round plastic disc can easily attach to or slip inside items that you want to track. (To Download the Tile App on Google play Store or TrackR Bravo on Google Play Store).


When a tagged item proves elusive, launch the app on your phone to see how far you are from the item or its last known location on a map. If you’re within 100 feet, you can make the tracking device ring so you can follow the sound. If you lose your phone, both Tile and TrackR work in reverse, allowing you to press a button on the device to make your phone ring—as long as your phone is nearby. To help you avoid leaving items behind, TrackR can be set to sound an alarm when there’s too much distance between your phone and the device.

Both devices’ batteries last about a year. TrackR’s watch battery is available online and at most grocery and hardware stores for about $3. Tile’s battery cannot be swapped out; you have to buy a new tile for $12 through the company’s replacement program.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/this-app-will-stop-you-from-misplacing.html#fWFYTV6wFL7YtZiO.99

One Adeyemi Soji was arrested by the Nigerian Police in Ado-Ekiti for circulating the sextape of a teenage daughter of the Principal of C.A.C comprehensive high School.
According to reports the teenage girl (named withheld) was lured into an uncompleted building and raped by Soji and another man who is currently on the run, after they promised to buy all her wares and also give her some tips.

The father of the girl, said the incidence was brought upon him as a result of his unpaid salaries, according to him he hasn't received a penny this year and he had to send his daughter out to sell vegetables so as so keep body and soul together.

See video and more: http://www.duketundesblog.com/08/06/2016/unpaid-salaries-rape-in.html

LWKMD chai Nigerians ehn...daris God o. I swear it's Do Re Mi na Hausi, composed by Dan Mariya's Grand-Mother

olaitoro:
Where is your prove

That so fa notes also sounds Igbo
I think it was invented by Stephen Osita Osadebe's grand mother.

History they say is mightier than the warrior, because the story lives on long after the warrior has died but most historian tell us distorted or entirely cooked up stories like 'Thomas Jefferson United States third President stated in his book "Notes on Virginia" that Africans are intellectually inferior and cannot understand Mathematics' where in the real sense of it and the true story 'Euclid the father of mathematics and of course the world's greatest mathematician of all time is African.

Many of our heroes, scientist, inventors and scholars in Africa are unknown, un-celebrated or given a place in history books because historians hid the facts or painted them as Americans or Europeans.


Well today, i bring you a list of African scientists, inventors, and scholars who were born or active on the African continent, who have contributed immensely to humanity and of course with the latest discovery of early human fossil in South Africa, We now know that Africa is the birthplace of humanity. It is the Motherland of all people: black or white.

We Africans were the carriers of light to the rest of the world, Science is a gift of Ancient Africa to our modern world.

See list of great Scientists, inventors, and scholars who are sons and daughters of African origin below:

Sub-Saharan Africa:

Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor and critic. Author of highest selling book in modern African literature, Things Fall Apart. He is often referred to as the father of modern African literature.Philip Emeagwali, the father of internet and the fastest computer, a Nigerian of Igbo origin.Atu Ausaji Ayuk, a Nigerian scientist, professor, invented a new time-system, the sitime Ibrahim Njoya, a Cameroonian King credited with developing a semi-syllabic Bamum script which evolved from the rudimentary pictographic script to a more advanced logo graphic script, which he later refined to the famous semi-syllabic script known to the world today. A. Egrinya Eneji, A Nigerian Agronomist, Professor, Consultant and Environmentalist of international repute.Arthur Zang, a Cameroonian Engineer has pioneered the first Medical tablet PC of Africa that would enable cardiovascular examinations to be performed remotely and transmit the results to surgeons. With only 30 surgeons in the major cities of Yaounde and Douala this innovation save patients the hassle of having to travel to the major cities from other Cameroonian cities. Dr. SIMO, Ernest, a distinguished Cameroonian scientist was a Finalist to NASA astronauts’ selection process in 1994 and 1996. In 1994, His co-finalists included space Heroes Rick Husband and William McCool who were respectively Commander and Pilot of the Space shuttle Columbia which was tragically lost in Feb-2003. Mohammed Bagayogo (1523–1593), an eminent scholar from Timbuktu, Mali. Modibo Mohammed Al Kaburi a scholar, Cadi and Jurist, and university professor, from Timbuktu, Mali.Cheikh Anta Diop (1923–1986), a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist and politician. Ahmad Baba (1556–1627), a medieval West African writer, scholar, and political provocateur. Felix A. Chami, an archaeologist and university professor from Tanzania.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2015/11/African-scientists-inventors-and-scholars.html#tJArQuoQ2Zo8doLW.99

Wonders they say shall never cease, According to this report published by INDEPENDENT UK, A “Sharia compliant” sex shop is reportedly to open in Mecca "Islam's holiest city" selling halal (Halal is Arabic for permissible) sex products for Muslims.

El Asira, an erotic brand originating in Amsterdam, is branching out to Mecca Saudi Arabia, visited by millions of Muslims a year on the “hajj” pilgrimage.

Founder Abdelaziz Aouragh announced his ambition last year, Morocco-based website Alyaoum24 reported.

Muslim clerics and Saudi sheikhs have reportedly been consulted to ensure the business complies with local laws and customs.

“The products we're putting on the market have nothing to do with blow-up dolls or vibrators,” Mr Aouragh told the AFP news agency.

“It's not about the sex act, it's what's going on around it. Our products increase the atmosphere and heighten feelings of sensuality.”

Women's freedoms are severely restricted in Saudi Arabia and Islamic codes of behaviour and dress are strictly enforced but El Asira says it strives to lead to "more admiration and love for women" by improving marital relationships.

Its website describes all products as “Sharia compliant” and claims they can “provide a deeper meaning to sexuality, sensuality and even spirituality”.

Everything sold online and in the brand’s shops has been deemed “halal”, meaning they are permissible according to Islamic law.

“All our products are maintaining the integrity, pure humanity and ethics inherent with the Sharia,” the website says.

The company, launched in the Netherlands in 2010, specialises in sensual oils and is backed by German adult company Beate Uhse.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/sharia-compliant-sex-shop-set-to-open.html#zqGwUlfsP4pCdWIr.99

Pathologists at Lancet Laboratories in Nairobi have cautioned cat owners to be vigilant after a cat was diagnosed with a virus similar to HIV.

The cat was said to have exhibited gradual weight loss and lethargy when its owner took it to the vet.

Blood tests conducted by the pathologists indicated that the cat had Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), which according to Citizen Digital caused degradation of the immune system.


According to Kenyans.co.ke, Dr Dhaval Shah, who examined the pet, said, however, that the virus could not be transmitted to humans.

"The virus spreads between cats through bites during fights, hence cat owners should be vigilant against aggressive or free-roaming cats," he was quoted as saying.

According to health sources, prolonged infection could lead to poor coat condition and persistent fever, inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and mouth (stomatitis).

Other complications included chronic or recurrent infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and upper respiratory tract are often present, persistent diarrhea, various kinds of cancer and blood diseases, abortion of kittens and other reproductive failures.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/cat-diagnosed-with-hiv-in-nairobi.html#vuhp3e4IQXBZWJ2J.99

Pathologists at Lancet Laboratories in Nairobi have cautioned cat owners to be vigilant after a cat was diagnosed with a virus similar to HIV.

The cat was said to have exhibited gradual weight loss and lethargy when its owner took it to the vet.

Blood tests conducted by the pathologists indicated that the cat had Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), which according to Citizen Digital caused degradation of the immune system.


According to Kenyans.co.ke, Dr Dhaval Shah, who examined the pet, said, however, that the virus could not be transmitted to humans.

"The virus spreads between cats through bites during fights, hence cat owners should be vigilant against aggressive or free-roaming cats," he was quoted as saying.

According to health sources, prolonged infection could lead to poor coat condition and persistent fever, inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and mouth (stomatitis).

Other complications included chronic or recurrent infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and upper respiratory tract are often present, persistent diarrhea, various kinds of cancer and blood diseases, abortion of kittens and other reproductive failures.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/cat-diagnosed-with-hiv-in-nairobi.html#vuhp3e4IQXBZWJ2J.99

Jeez! Checkout the most expensive Android smartphone ever, The Solarin dubbed the 'Rolls Royce of smartphones' cost a whooping $14,000 (4.9 Million Naira).

The Android smartphone that chip-to-chip 256-bit encryption similar to what the military uses to protect communications, was unveiled by Isreali start-up Sirin Labs.


The device is activated via a physical security switch on the back.

Solarin packs in Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, promises "far superior" Wi-Fi connectivity, has a 23.8MP rear camera and a 5.5 inch IPS LED 2K resolution screen.

Check out the phone from all angles via this video. The video has been released by Sirin Labs.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/solarin-is-worlds-most-expensive.html#D3jwcMiRigpvFPSZ.99

Quote of the Day: “Every time you borrow money, you're robbing your future self.” ― Nathan W. Morris

As useful and necessary as money is to our lives, there's another side to money-the side that lies and leads people into its ruinous and destructive traps.
Below are the fallacies that plague the thinking of those who accept the six lies about money.


Achievement: Money says that i do things well.Freedom: Money says that i can have what i want when i want.Respect: Money say that people like me.Power: Money says that i am in charge of my life.Security: Money says that i will always be safe.Happiness: Money says that i enjoy myself.
There is enough truth in all of these statements for them to be credible. We could easily find real life examples of people who have achieved great things and have money to show for it. There are plenty of wealthy people who seem to have options in life that many of us do not. And i am sure that there are wealthy people who are authentically happy not because they have a huge amount in their banks but because they play by the rules. Where the myths play into all of these examples is that the money does not play the primary role.

You need to ask yourself why is it that the rich and famous are into drugs, excessive drinking and ultimately committing suicide. Then look around you will find many of these wealthy people dying broke or bankrupt all because they fell for the ruinous and destructive traps about money. Not long ago i read about a Nigerian billionaire in the early 90's who had it all but today he's a cab driver and so are many wealthy folks others who had all and fell from grace to grass.

Retrain Yourself
In order to achieve great success and stay successful seek inspiration from others who've been this way and are living on less, If you learn to keep a lid on your expense by controlling your spending, something amazing will happen. So much of this money management thing is about attitude rather than money. Saving and living within your means. This retraining means seeing frugality as your ticket to success. Stop believing what you have is a leverage to get everything you richly deserve. Sure you want it, but that's not an excuse for buying it.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2015/11/monday-business-kit-money-myths.html#iPbGoMR0vXf5j7h7.99

Hello lovelies! How are you guys doing and bet your week has been a lovely one so far?

As we enter the last month in the first half of this year, many of our set goals at the start of the year has not been achieved, so are our needs and stuffs we need to get keep mounting but guys you have to take things easy and keep it at the back of your minds that there's nothing wrong in dreaming BIG and for a LUXURIOUS LIFE, What we need to be taken care of is not to let our NEED become GREED....Just work hard and extra-smart and soon all your needs will be met.

Quote of the day "Whether you have a Maruti or a BMW, the road remains the same, Whether you travel economy class or business, your destination doesn't change, whether you have a Titan or a Rolex, the time is the same, whether you have Apple, Samsung or Lava, people who call you remains the same. There is nothing wrong in dreaming a luxurious life, What needs to be taken care of is to not let the need become greed. Because needs can always be met, but greed can never be fulfilled. - Rajinikanth

Do have a blissful Thursday and stay sweet..

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2015/10/quote-of-daythursdaymotivational.html#xGcv7fK2loYh0oHu.99

Do you have bad breath or halitosis, having bad breath can be quite embarrassing and the problem is people just gossip it behind you and never tell you about this on your face. Well worry no more because everyone suffers from bad breath at certain point of their life and you might not even be aware of it.


Today i will be giving some easy hacks that can make your breath smell fresh all day but the first step is of course to test if you have bad breath.

Testing for Bad Breath:


1. The Color Test

The easiest way to find if you have bad breath is to find out what color your tongue is. If your tongue is pink, then your breath is probably fresh. If your tongue is yellow or white in color, then it's likely that bacteria have been partying on your tongue causing the bad breath.

2. The Lick Test

To test the front part of your tongue, lick the back part of your hand and let it dry for few seconds. Smell the area where you licked. The smell you get is probably the smell others get when you are around them.

3. The Spoon Test

The spoon test is effective in testing the back part of your tongue. Simply use a spoon or a tongue scraper to scrape the back of your tongue. Smell the spoon, if it doesn't smell good, then you are probably having bad breath.

Simple hacks and home remedy to get rid of Bad Breath:

1. Chew Lemon, Orange rind or Mint.
2. Gargle and hydrate
Gargling with salt water is an easy way to eliminate the bacteria that cause bad breath. Keep yourself hydrated.
3. Pop Antacids.
One of the causes of bad breath can be your stomach. Antacids and acid-blockers may ease sore or acidic stomach that may lead to an improvement in the way your breath smells.
4. Scrape the Tongue
Tongue scraping may be helpful if your tongue is coated with a buildup of debris, bacteria, and dead cells.
5. Eat an Apple
Apples, Carrots and celery all scrub your teeth as you eat, according to Readers Digest.
6. Turn on the Humidifier.
It helps in maintaining proper moisture levels in your home. Dry air causes dry mouth, which can lead to bad breath.
7. Swap out the Coffee.
Coffee can be a significant cause of bad breath. Also, excess green tea can actually cause bad breath.
8. Don't use mouthwash much.
The mouth contains both good and bad bacteria's. Mouthwash might also eliminate the bacteria which might be keeping your mouth healthy. So, excessive usage of mouthwash can be bad.
9. Clean your dentures.
“If you wear dentures, be sure to remove them at night and clean them thoroughly before replacing them the next morning.” American Dental Association.
10. Swish with Coconut oil.
“Pull the oil back and forth through your teeth for three to five minutes. This helps restore gum health and destroys odor-causing bacteria, while preserving good bacteria.” says Prof. Ellen Kamhi.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/04/health-10-home-remedies-or-hack-for-bad.html#HXbv1pp89R327C20.99

Flying alone can be so terrifying at times for a lot of people, but the sight of these runways can freak you out and you will vow never to fly again.
Check out this list of 7 scariest airport runways in the world, some are so tricky to land on that even the most experienced pilot will have to take extra caution while approaching the runway....from shorter runways to those intersecting an express way and more:

1. Hechi Jinchengjiang Airport, China

This airport opened in 2014, and to construct it builders had to level off the top of 60 mountains in order to place the runway. To level the runway for the £85million airport, architects used dynamite to blow off the top of the mountains. Now pilots have to navigate onto the short runway, 2,200ft above sea level.

2. Gibraltar International Airport, Gibraltar

At Gibraltar’s airport, a highway intersects the runway. This means that whenever a flight is due to land in Gibraltar the road has to be closed. The traffic on the Winston Churchill Avenue is kept at a standstill for about 10 minutes to allow flights to land. As well as having to contend with traffic, the runway is also surrounded on three sides by the coast.

3. Toncontin International Airport, Honduras

Toncontin is considered to be an incredibly tricky runway to navigate due to its short runway and mountainous terrain. The runway is significantly shorter than other major runways, and was extended in 2009 from 6,112ft in length by 984 ft.

4. Barra Airport, Scotland

For planes planning to land at Barra Airport in the Outer Hebrides, they’ll have to negotiate a particularly sandy terrain. It’s the only airport in the world where planes are scheduled to use a beach runway. Flight times have to accommodate the tide, so when the tide is high, planes often have to either cancel their flights or delay landing.

5. Madeira Airport, Madeira

This is another particularly short runway, based at the bottom of a slope and held up by pillars. One side of the runway teeters over the water’s edge, made all the more hair-raising by often-harsh wind conditions.

6. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Nepal

This runway is short and upward sloping and is only accessible by helicopter or small fixed-wing planes. The runway is also at high altitude, around 9,334 ft above sea level.

7. Gustaf III Airport, St Barth's

To get to the airport, pilots have to fly over mountain peaks before starting their descent onto a short runway that literally ends at a beach. Sunbathers are advised not to lie directly at the end of the runway.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/02/7-scariest-airport-runways-in-world.html#VA4Q4I8tfQCuuihA.99

Na true life story o

frostland:
wow so dis story is touching ops is dis a true live story or fiction

This is a story that looks like something out of a horror movie, but it's very real, though it is a long piece but i bet you will not want to miss this for anything...It's the story of the survivors of a plane that crashed in the Andes, who had to eat the bodies of their dead friends in order to survive. One of the survivors wrote this haunting and deeply moving book detailing their 10 weeks near death experience and journey to find help:

Behind us, the fuselage grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Our friends watched from the wreckage of the plane as the two of us began climbing the mountain wall. I turned round occasionally to look at them until they were shadowy pinpricks, tiny black ants moving along a snowy white canvas.
No wonder the rescue planes hadn’t seen us. With the white fuselage camouflaged against the snow, we were totally invisible. Finally, I could no longer see our friends, and I felt a rush of anxiety as the umbilical cord that kept us attached to them was severed.
There were only 16 of us left now, out of the original 45 who’d been on board when the plane plunged out of the sky two months before. Would we ever see them again? I doubted it.

We’d said goodbye with the first rays of dawn as we set out on our life-or-death mission. We wore several jumpers and pairs of trousers. We’d lost so much weight that we could easily wear them all at once.

On my back was a makeshift sleeping bag constructed from the insulation fibres in the plane’s tailpiece. I also carried a rugby sock stuffed with our food: strips of frozen human flesh we’d cut, amid much torment and soul-searching, from the bodies of our friends who’d died.
My friend Nando and I walked in our rugby boots, using cushions from the plane as snowshoes, and we each carried a length of rope and a metal stick. In truth, we had no idea what we needed. Neither of us had any climbing experience whatsoever.

The mountain wall was nearly vertical, and the air was so thin that every few yards we found ourselves gasping for breath. As night swiftly devoured twilight, we could suddenly see nothing ahead. We didn’t know whether we were stepping on to firm ground or about to fall into a ravine.


‘What am I doing here?’ I shouted. ‘Where in God’s name am I?’
Our sweat-soaked clothes began to freeze as the temperature plummeted. The wind seemed bent on whipping us into oblivion. It looked as though we were going to die on our first night away from the plane.

But as always happens to me, despair made me fight harder. To stumble into a canyon was preferable to giving up and awaiting a frozen death.
At last, when all seemed lost, we came across a clear, windswept area beneath a stony outcrop near the edge of an abyss, where we could lie down and wait out the terrible night.

One false move could send us over the edge. But if the two of us huddled together and lay very still, we hoped against hope that we might just survive till morning.

By the third day, Nando and I were approaching the summit. Only then would we be able to look around us and assess the challenge that lay ahead.

How often we’d visualised in our minds’ eye the verdant valleys that we fondly believed lay on the other side of the mountain: quaint villages, happy herdsmen, abundant food.

It was Nando who got there first. ‘What can you see?’ I asked, as I clambered to join him.
He was staring silently into the distance. As I joined him, I could see why. Before us lay an infinite number of gigantic snowy peaks disappearing to the horizon.

East, west, north, south, there was nothing but ice and snow and mountains. We’re dead, I thought. My despair was absolute.
Then Nando pointed. I followed the direction of his finger to the west, in the direction of Chile.

There, hardly visible to the naked eye, were twin peaks that appeared not to be covered with snow. They were incredibly far away. But they were our only hope.
‘Can you imagine how beautiful all this would be if we weren’t doomed?’ said Nando.
That night, we huddled together in our improvised sleeping bag, not just for warmth, but to fight back the terror of the unknown. We both knew we were likely to die. But we’d give death a run for its money first.

The next morning, little by little, we began our descent. During some stretches we slid down the mountain nearly sitting down; at other times, we clung face-first to the cliff, careful not to let our backpacks tip us back. We watched out for each other, always on the alert.

By nightfall we were exhausted and battered. My outer jeans were worn through with holes; it was as well I had two more pairs on. Every part of my stone-ground body was in agony.

The only way I got through those first days away from the plane was by setting myself short-term goals. It could be nothing more than reaching that next boulder, that next cliff, that next rock formation.
There were so many possible ways to die, it was better to focus on the remote possibility that we’d survive. Keep your head down. Keep walking.
Sometimes I thought I heard a plane. Nando swore he didn’t. Only later would we find out that an aircraft chartered by our parents had, indeed, been out looking for us, scouring the mountainsides.
On day seven we began withdrawing into ourselves. Our minds and bodies were starting to fail. My skin had taken on a greenish tinge, and my toes were turning black from hypothermia.

I dreamed of my girlfriend Lauri in Montevideo. She would have to find another boyfriend. But how would my mother move on?
The night before, just before falling asleep, Nando and I had told each other in whispers about all the hopes for the future we’d had in our other life. I was never as close to any friend as I was to Nando during our trek — and nor would I ever be.

Life in the mountains had its own rhythm, its own routine, its own set of savage rules, and we became part of it. For us, the day ended at 4pm when the sun disappeared behind the western mountains.
But on that seventh day, as the temperature dropped and we set up our camp, something felt different. I looked at my watch. It was 4.15 pm and the sun was still shining.
A few minutes later I checked again. It had been more than 30 minutes since the sun should have disappeared behind the mountains, just as it always had. But not tonight.
‘Nando, how is the sun still lighting up the valley?’ We looked upwards.
‘If the sun isn’t being blocked, that must mean we’re almost out of the mountains!’ I shouted. ‘Over there, where the sun is still shining through — that’s the way out!’
That night, total darkness did not fall until until 7.12 pm.
Waking the following morning from a restless sleep, I realised that while my body was still exhausted, my mind felt clearer. ‘There’s far more oxygen here,’ I said to Nando in surprise.
Travelling further downwards that day, the snow began giving way to rocky terrain and loose gravel. Then, finally, miraculously, it disappeared.
The only white we could see now was up high in the distance. The place where we stood was arid and desolate, where probably no man had ever set foot before. But to me, it felt like the gates of paradise.
An hour later, the most wonderful thing of all: six feet ahead of me I saw a lizard, staring right at me. I was entranced, mesmerised. The origins of life were beginning to emerge in their most primitive forms.

That night, we found the first twigs we had seen for months and lit a fire with a lighter we’d carried in our backpack. We laid out the sleeping bag not over ice, but on a pillowy cushion of vegetation. It was the first time since October 13 that we’d not slept at the mercy of the mountain.
The next day the signs of civilisation began to multiply. A horseshoe. A rusty tin can. A stream that became a rushing river. A clump of trees, and next to them two cows.

Later, we saw trees felled by axes. Boot prints were all around.

‘We’re going to make it, aren’t we?’ Nando said at last, with an expression resembling a smile — something I hadn’t seen on his face for many weeks. We had arrived in civilisation.
Nando had the idea of climbing a tree and dropping a rock on the head of one the cattle so we could eat. I said it would be better to slit their tendons, like the early cowboys did.
In the middle of this absurd conversation I looked over Nando’s shoulder. There, on the other side of the river, was the silhouette of a man in a hat riding a horse.

We started yelling, but our screams were drowned out by the roaring river, that was far too dangerous to cross.
The rider took a few more steps, then stopped and looked round.

I watched as Nando jumped up and down, shouting ‘Plane!’ and flapping his arms up and down before dropping to his knees and folding his hands in desperate supplication. Goodness knows what we looked like — dangerous wild men, probably, rather than the survivors of a plane crash.

Night-time was once again threatening. The man was weighing us, measuring us. Then he signalled to us with his hands and shouted a word we heard clearly over the roar of the water: ‘Tomorrow!’
Just before sunrise the next day, we saw the flicker of flames from the other side of the river. There was the man who’d first seen us.
The man took paper and a pencil out of his pocket, tied them to a rock and threw it across the river. ‘I’ve sent a man on his way over to you,’ it read. ‘Tell me what you want.’

Nando scratched out a reply on the other side of the paper. ‘We were in a plane crash on the mountains,’ he wrote. ‘We’ve been walking for ten days. There are 14 other survivors on the plane. We have no food. We’re weak.’
Then he threw the stone back to the other shore.

The man read the note carefully, then gestured with his hands as if to say: ‘I understand.’

Two hours later, a man rode up to us with two spare horses. He told us his name was Armando and that he’d been sent by Sergio Catalan, the man we’d first seen, who had set off straight away for the nearest police post — an eight-hour ride away.

Following Armando on horseback, we watched the scenery change. We came upon a bright green meadow irrigated by ditches. Was this Heaven on Earth, I wondered? Could we be sure that we didn’t die on one of those icy nights in the mountains?
Two small cabins poked up from the prairie. They were simple and beautiful, with thatched roofs surrounded by roses in full bloom.
The horse stopped by a table upon which was placed a fresh farm cheese. ‘May I have a piece?’ I asked.

I got down from the horse and brought the cheese to my mouth. I took one bite, then another and another, without swallowing the first. Nando did the same as the farmer watched in disbelief. Around six in the evening, Sergio Catalan and around a dozen police officers arrived. I looked into his eyes and thought: ‘This is the man who saved us.’ It was the start of a lifelong bond.

‘Impossible!’ the sergeant said when we told him our story.
But we were emphatic. There was no time to lose: our friends were dying.
The helicopter commanders looked at each other, then said if they were going to try it — and it was a dangerous mission — one of us would have to go with them to point the way.
In the end, Nando went. I was exhausted, and he wanted to go.
That day, because of bad weather, only six of our friends returned to the land of the living. The other eight would be rescued the following day. All of them had survived in our absence.
No wonder our story came to be known in our homeland of Uruguay as El Milagro. The miracle.

Before I got on the helicopter to hospital and my old life, I shook hands with Armando and Sergio Catalan. When I thanked them, they looked at me with utter surprise, as if there was nothing to thank them for. These men, the guardians of paradise: Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/02/we-ate-our-friends-body-to-survive-for.html#EzIfl7JC81K6Fhd0.99

Worried about burglars or just need to monitor your home or office while you are away but missing out because installing specialized CCTV equipment is pretty expensive, and not something most people can do by themselves?

Have you ever thought of your old smartphones being your CCTV camera? No i guess. Well here is a good news, if you're looking for a simple way to find a good use for old smartphones, we've got an easy to set up DIY that you can do without too much time or effort: you can turn the phone into a security camera.


Upgrading your phone every couple of years, if not every year, is fast becoming the norm, and while you would of course try and sell the old phone, sometimes the value of smartphones drops so quickly that selling older hardware isn't really worth the effort. The end result is that you could have a smartphone lying around the house, just taking up space in a drawer.

Here's how to get started and all you need is an old smartphone or tablet, and the right software.

A visit to Android Play Store, with search term 'CCTV' will bring a result that looks like the image below:

I tried many of the free ones but had to prime it down to two that seem to offer the best service if all "Home Security Camera, Alfred, and Web Camera Online: CCTV IP Cam. Both apps worked reliably, though they lacked many features that were mentioned elsewhere. Another popular app".

Let's zero-in on the app called AtHome.

Having gotten a hold of an old phone, and finalised which app to use, the next step was to set it up and get things running. For this to work, you need one old phone that has a working Wi-Fi connection. You'll want to fix it in such a location that you can connect the charger to it and probably a power-bank as well; because you don't want the battery to run out in the middle of recording. You also need one phone or tablet to view the video feed, or you can also do this from your Windows PC. This is what you need to do.


1. Install AtHome Video Streamer- Monitor (Android | iOS) on your old smartphone. This handset will be used for streaming the camera feed.
2. Now, download the AtHome Monitor app (Android | iOS) on the device you want to receive the CCTV feed. This phone or tablet will be used for viewing the camera feed.
3. On the 'camera' and the viewing phone both, launch the respective apps. As soon as it goes online, the AtHome Video Streamer will generate a unique Connection ID (CID) along with a username and password. You can enter this information on the phone you'll use to monitor the feed.
Or you could just scan the QR code like we did, which saves a fair bit of time.
4. On the device you'll use to monitor the feed, you need to launch the AtHome Monitor app (called AtHome Camera on iOS) and then you can enter the account details above, or click to add a feed using the QR code generated above.
Scan the code and your CCTV streamer and receiver are up and running.

5. Want to access the CCTV stream on your desktop computer? If you're on Windows, you can. All you need to do is download and install the AtHome Camera desktop client.
If your machine has a webcam then it can scan the QR code just like in step 3; otherwise you'll need to create a username in step 2 and log-in that way instead.

You can add and monitor up to four camera streams in the desktop client.
6. The app is packed with features such as scheduled recording, and two-way talk. You can switch between the front and rear camera and enable the LED flash remotely
More importantly, you can record the stream or take a snapshot. The video is stored in SD quality MP4 format. That is much better than what majority of CCTV's can pull off.


Saving a minute of stream takes up 3MB of storage. An entire day's (24 hours) feed can take up to 4.5GB, so if you're using the camera for round the clock surveillance you'll want to transfer the files to your computer daily.

Coming to the subject of data usage, the AtHome streamer used 64MB in 10 minutes. The viewer utilises the same amount of data. Undoubtedly, it makes sense to stick to Wi-Fi and not use cellular data. Thankfully, since the app can detect motion and notify you about it, you don't need to record the data or transmit it non-stop.
- See more at: http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/06/diy-how-to-turn-your-old-smartphones-to.html#sthash.mjocX211.dpuf

This is a piece on the man everyone refers to as the world luckiest man, his many brushes with death to his million dollar lottery win at the age of 73 really cracked me up.
Frane Selak (born 1929) is a Croatian music teacher who has escaped death seven times, and afterward won the lottery in 2003, prompting journalists to dub him "the world's luckiest man", and "world's luckiest unluckiest man"

His brushes with Death
Selak's supposed brushes with death started in January 1962 when he was riding a train through a cold, rainy canyon and the train flipped off the tracks and crashed in a river. Someone pulled Selak to safety, while 17 other passengers drowned.Selak suffered a broken arm and hypothermia. The next year, during his first and only plane ride, he was blown out of a malfunctioning plane door and landed in a haystack; the plane crashed, killing 19 people. However, there is no report of any plane crash in Croatia in 1963. Three years after that, in 1966, a bus that he was riding skidded off the road and into a river, drowning four passengers. Selak swam to shore with a few cuts and bruises.
In 1968 Selak was teaching his youngest son how to hold a gun when the safety trigger was accidentally off and Selak managed to shoot himself in one of his testicles. He was taken to hospital where the casing from the bullet was found, and his testicle had to be removed.
In 1970 his car caught fire as he was driving and he managed to escape before the fuel tank blew up. Three years later, in another driving incident, the engine of his car was doused with hot oil from a malfunctioning fuel pump, causing flames to shoot through the air vents. Selak's hair was completely singed in this incident, but he was otherwise unharmed. In 1995, he was struck by a bus in Zagreb, but sustained only minor injuries. In 1996 he eluded a head-on collision with a United Nations truck on a mountain curve by swerving into a guardrail, which gave way under the force of his car; he was ejected from the car when the door flew open (he wasn't wearing a seatbelt) and watched his car plummet down 90 metres (300 ft) into a gorge.

In 2003, two days after his 73rd birthday, Selak won €800,000 (US$1,110,000) in the lottery. At the time of his win, he also married for the fifth time. While he purchased two houses and a boat with his winnings,in 2010 he decided to give most of the remaining money away to relatives and friends after deciding to live a frugal lifestyle.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2015/07/the-story-of-worlds-luckiest-unluckiest.html#PMswoGcMHSIQ7OxV.99

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg just shared a post on his personal timeline that the world's number one social media site will be doing her first ever Live from Space tomorrow 1st of June. You can send questions and more...See what he shared below
- See more at: http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/facebook-live-from-space-happening.html#sthash.7RPTJHti.dpuf

Often time we wake up in the morning feeling more tired than when we went to bed at night, Well according to experts the reason you're having trouble getting out of bed in the morning but wide awake in the evening may be as a result of your late-night technology affinity.

Oh don't get me wrong, there could be other contributing factors – like anxiety, diet, caffeine consumption and age – but ironically, the devices you’re unwinding with in bed could be keeping you up.


Night light

Not only could bringing your smartphone or tablet affect how fast you fall asleep, but you might not stay asleep peacefully either.

To fall asleep, your body needs an increase in a hormone called melatonin. Problem is, a backlit phone or tablet decreases melatonin production.

On a related note, those who keep a TV on while sleeping might also be affecting the quality of their sleep as any light that comes through the eyelids could increase melatonin.

Experts say a non-backlit ebook reader or regular book with bedside lamp is a better way to go.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

A related issue with bringing work to bed – phones, tablets, and laptops – is you’re not giving yourself a break from being connected. It’s a condition often referred to as “fear of missing out,” or “FOMO,” for short.

You might want to see what people on social media are chatting about. You hear the “ping” of a text or email after you’ve closed your eyes and so you reach for your device to see who’s writing. There’s a group chat going on and it’s killing you not to be part of it.

Even if you put your device on airplane mode, you might still be tempted to peek if it’s nearby. It’s recommended to leave the gadgets in another room.

Wireless waves

While the research isn’t conclusive, another concern with bringing devices to bed is tied to the radiation they emit.

We know wireless smartphones and tablets emit Wi-Fi and/or cellular signals – which is why experts say not to hold one up against your head for long periods of time – so do you really want to be sleeping with one beside your pillow all night? Do your tweens or teens go to sleep with their devices?

Because we just don’t know the long-term effects, many are erring on the side of caution and leaving them out of the bedroom altogether – or at least putting these devices into Airplane mode.

How to sleep better:

Soundscapes

Not everyone who brings a smartphone or tablet to bed has trouble falling and staying asleep.

In fact, many rely on audio-based smartphone or tablet apps to induce relaxation while your eyes are closed.

Spend some time at the App Store or Google Play and there’s no shortage of downloadable apps ranging from mediation walkthroughs to relaxing “soundscapes” (like crashing waves, tropical sounds or rainstorms) to jetlag apps designed to help tired travelers.

And then there’s audio podcasts and audiobooks you can listen to with the light’s out.


Fitness
- See more at: http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/why-you-should-stop-bringing-your.html#sthash.BY6WAM8O.dpuf

John Cooper 44 at the time appeared on darts game showm "The Bullseye" in 1989 and was believed to be a scuba diving fan from Pembrokeshire, West Wales.

A month after appearing on the game show he brutally murdered a couple in cold blood, four years he had first committed double murder on another innocent pair, and seemingly got away with it.


In 1998, nine years after his second double murder and appearance on Bullseye, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but not for the two atrocious crimes he had committed.

This jail time was for 30 counts of burglary and robbery, but Cooper only served 10 years and was released in January 2009.

Spot The Ball

In 1978, Cooper had a stroke of luck, winning £90,000 - worth half a million of today’s money - and a £4,000 car in a Spot the Ball competition.

But, in a way, this seemed to be the start of his downfall.

In February 2012, a pal told the Daily Mirror how Cooper had “developed a huge drink and gambling habit” after winning the competition.

When his cash started to dry up he began his crime spree, including robberies.

The pal told the publication: “I dread to think how many people he attacked. I expect the court case was just the tip of the iceberg. The murders do not surprise me. He is evil.”

What Did He Do?

The first of Cooper’s monstrous crimes occurred on December 22, 1985 when he shot dead Richard Thomas, 58, and his sister Helen, 56, at their home near Milford Haven before setting fire to their house to cover his tracks.

Four years later, he gunned down holidaymakers Peter Dixon, 51, and wife Gwenda, 52, at point blank range on a Pembrokeshire coastal path near Little Haven on June 29, 1989.

Before killing the couple, he tied them up, stole their bank card and forced them to reveal their pin number, and after the murders he took money from their account.

Bullseye Appearance

As well as being a keen killer, Cooper was also a fan of darts and appeared on an episode of popular game show Bullseye in 1989.

The recording for the episode took place in late May 1989 - exactly a month before he shot dead Peter and Gwenda on that Pembrokeshire path.

During the episode, presenter Jim asked Cooper how he spent his spare time, saying: “You’ve got an unusual hobby John, haven’t you?”

Killer Cooper replied: “Oh yes. The scuba diving.”

Jim said Pembrokeshire was “the place to do it”, and Cooper replied: “We’ve got deep water where you can swim over mountains and all sorts of things.”

He was clearly well aware of the location but little did the host know just a month later this latest Bullseye contestant would head to the picturesque Pembrokeshire countryside and murder two innocent holidaymakers.

Cooper didn’t cover himself in glory on Bullseye, with his opponent getting more answers correct than him.

He got the chance to gamble his winnings and go for the star prize though, but he didn’t get the desired score and lost everything.

How Did Bullseye Play A Part?

While he didn’t lose as much as his victims and their family and friends when he committed his callous crimes, Cooper’s appearance on Bullseye played a big part in his eventual conviction, costing him dearly in the end.

The Bullseye episode featuring Cooper was played out to the jury at Swansea Crown Court during his trial.

The prosecution claimed Cooper’s appearance on the game show matched up with an artist’s impression of a man seen outside a bank in Pembrokeshire, where Peter’s card was used to withdraw money from.

Detective chief superintendent Steve Wilkins has since revealed in a book how he and ITV presenter Jonathan Hill tracked Cooper down from the Bullseye footage.

It’s hard to believe nowadays, but the episode in question actually took days to be found.

It was finally discovered by a librarian in Leeds in February 2009 - a month after Cooper’s release from prison.

After careful analysis of the episode, Jonathan compared the Bullseye footage to the artist’s impression of the murder suspect from the 1989 police inquiry.

He stopped the tape at a part where they both held a similar pose and, sure enough, the two looked very much alike - both with bushy long hair, and the same nose and chin.

In a 2013 book, The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Bullseye Killer, then-retired detective Wilkins said: “In my 30 years’ service I had seen many artist’s impressions and photo-fit efforts, but I had never seen as close a match as this.”

Cooper’s Undoing

While the father-of-two was in prison for robbery and burglary there were great advances in forensic science technologies used in the police.

During his time behind bars, a cold case review into the double murders began.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/this-cold-blood-murderer-was-caught-on.html#f3yPZPM7IdQcJ1UM.99

GAME ON! FACEBOOK better get set to battle with YouTube....YouTube launches chat service. The new add-on to YouTube is a messaging app that is essentially a messaging service that allows you to share embedded YouTube videos right from your chat window.

YouTube calls the new messaging app "native sharing" because users can share videos within the app and even invite friends into conversation threads.


YouTube’s messaging app is, at the moment, only open to a few selected individuals who are then able to spread it to their friends by inviting them into conversation threads. Friends can talk about the shared video clips right inside the app and they can also keep the conversation going by posting more videos on the thread. The message threads reside within a new tab on the app and users can always catch up on missed conversation and at the same time dip in and out of conversations. If all goes well, the native feature will then be added to a future app update.

According to Wired, the director of product management at YouTube Shimrit Ben-Yair says that the native sharing feature was developed after her team hypothesized that a streamlined native way to share YouTube videos would result in more sharing, which is exactly what the company wants.
Currently, people copy YouTube links and paste them on other messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/youtube-launches-messaging-app.html#CotACoUM4cWF1c5h.99

Nigeria plans to start production of Pencils in 2030 and here we have it that due to population and pollution, China is building Bus capable of carrying 1,400 people at once 'A Landlinder'..Two architects Craig Hodgetts and Lester Walker, dreamed up this concepts, a road Landliner which can carry up to 1,400 passengers back in 1969 s part of their “immodest proposal” for redesigning New York City. They called it the Bos-Wash Landliner, as it would run between Washington, D.C., and Boston. But now the futuristic straddling may finally become a reality in China.

Car ownership in China is soaring, with an estimated 20 million new drivers hitting the roads each year. Cities there can expect no shortage of air pollution and hellish traffic jams. While local governments are hoping that parking regulations and plate restrictions will ease congestion, engineers and designers are trying to find relief in technology.

What if there were a city bus that could carry more than a thousand passengers from one point to another without taking up any space on the road?

As fantastical as that sounds, it’s a solution that Chinese cities like Beijing are actually considering. Participants at the 19th International High-Tech Expo in Beijing this weekend watched excitedly as a tiny “straddling bus” gobbled up cars and spit them back out as it glided above the traffic in a model city. It’s a replica of what could be the future of China’s public transport.

The bus would span two traffic lanes and carry up to 1,400 passengers. It would travel up to 40 miles an hour above street level on a special track, allowing regular cars under 7 feet high to freely pass underneath. (As a extra touch, its underbelly even simulates the sky.)


More importantly, it would run on electricity and take the place of 40 buses, which could cut annual fuel consumption by 800 tons and carbon emissions by almost 2,500 tons, according to an interview with the chief engineer, Song Youzhou, conducted by China’s official news agency, Xinhua. And it would be less expensive than a subway system as it doesn’t involve digging up the ground.
- See more at: http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/china-plans-to-build-futuristic-bus.html#sthash.hpDMhlZ7.dpuf

A few days back, i shared a post on 5 ways to reduce data usage on Android so today i will share with you guys these five phone-wide settings will help reduce data consumption on your iPhone.


1. Disable cellular app updates.

Automatic updates of apps will always take a toll on your data allotment, make sure apps are updated only when you are on WiFi. Go to Settings > iTunes & App Stores and turn off Use Cellular Data.


2. Disable WiFi Assist.

Wi-Fi Assist is a great feature where your iPhone hands off a weak Wi-Fi signal to your cellular network to prevent pages from loading slowly or not at all as it clings to the last remnants of a Wi-Fi signal. If you sit on the edge of a Wi-Fi network at work, say, then your cellular network may be assisting more than you'd like and running up data charges.
To disable Wi-Fi Assist, go to Settings > Cellular and scroll all the way to the bottom to turn off Wi-Fi Assist.

3. Disable background app refresh.

iOS apps can update in the background, grabbing new content as they sit idle so they can show you the latest news when you return to them. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and you can turn this setting off completely or go the a la carte route from the list below and choose which apps update in the background.

4. Disable iCloud Drive on cellular.

If you use iCloud Drive to shuttle documents in and out of the cloud, those data transfers can add to your bill if they are done over a cellular connection. You can restrict iCloud Drive to Wi-Fi only by going to Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive and scrolling to the bottom and turning off Use Cellular Data.
- See more at: http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/5-ways-to-reduce-data-usage-on-your.html#sthash.XjnrA7GX.dpuf

Back in the days many of us use solar powered calculators, i still have mine that i bought some 18 years ago, Solar-powered streetlights and solar-powered devices are not hard to find. But with all the advances made in solar technology we've not seen a solar-powered smartphone...My BIG QUESTION here: We will ever be able to use the sun to power our ubiquitous smartphones and other mobile gadgets instead of plugging it into the socket everyday?

The answer is YES, Solar-powered smartphones is in the offing but depends not only on efficiency gains in photovoltaic cell technology but also on where those cells are placed on our devices and where we store them—many of us keep our smartphones stuffed in a pocket or handbag for much of the day, out of reach of the sun’s energy. If solar-powered smartphones becomes a reality it will go a long way in helping people in developing countries with poor electricity supply enjoy seamless access high-end smart devices.


To be sure, there has been some progress. At the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona this year, Japanese cell phone maker Kyocera Corp. for the second year running showed off a prototype of a 12.7-centimeter solar-powered phone. The so-far nameless device allows for a minute of talk time for every three minutes of sunlight—a big improvement over the company’s 2015 predecessor, which offered only 15 minutes for every two hours of solar charging.

To develop the phone Kyocera worked with France-based Sunpartner Technologies, which produces translucent film impregnated with photovoltaic cells. Being see-through, the film can be installed between the LCD display and the touch screen so that the phone can charge more easily while in use. Most previous efforts at solar-powered phones had the cells on the back, meaning that the device had to be facedown to get a charge and that the cells, being external, could more easily be damaged.

Kyocera says it expects to bring its solar-powered smartphone to market soon, possibly in time for the next Mobile World Congress in February 2017.

Read more at http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/yesno-solar-powered-smartphones-in.html#8Bz4PEKY7TJ6WQ2V.99

West Africa's Lake Chad region is the world's most neglected humanitarian crisis, where poverty and desertification have been compounded by violence caused by Boko Haram, the U.N. aid chief said on Tuesday at the World Humanitarian Summit.

The gap between the suffering and the humanitarian response may be bigger than in Syria, Iraq or Yemen, a senior Red Cross official said.

Violence has forced more than 2.4 million people to flee their homes in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, according to the United Nations. Many families have been displaced several times. Up to 90 percent are sheltering in host communities.


Both the displaced and their hosts need emergency aid where farming has been curtailed by the violence, deepening food shortages and hunger, U.N. officials said.
More than 480,000 children could die unless they urgently receive food aid, they added.

"Lake Chad Basin ... at this stage is the most under reported, the most underfunded and the least addressed of the big crises we face," U.N. aid chief Stephen O'Brien said.
Climate change and lack of resources have already caused terrible suffering, and this has been compounded by the brutality wreaked by Boko Haram, he added.

"We have humanitarian needs now in that part of the world on a scale which is unprecedented," said O'Brien, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

This year, the United Nations has appealed for $535 million for the region. Last year's appeal was just over 40 percent funded.

Some 3 million people face severe food insecurity in the region, the majority in northeast Nigeria. In the far north of Cameroon, the number urgently needing food aid has quadrupled in the last year, according to U.N. figures.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said it was rapidly scaling up its response to avoid a "famine-like situation".
- See more at: http://www.duketundesblog.com/2016/05/un-lake-chad-basin-is-worlds-most.html#sthash.aadLlzly.dpuf

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